National Aeronautics and Space Administration researchers are perfecting a fiber optic-based sensing system that could be the first step in developing technology that would allow pilots to change the configuration of a wing in midair.
NASA’s Ikhana, a modified Predator B unmanned aircraft adapted for civilian research, is being used to test the advanced, fiber optic-based sensing technology.
“Controlling a wing’s shape in flight would allow it to take advantage of aerodynamics and improve overall wing efficiency,” points out a NASA spokesman at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
The fiber optic sensors also could boost aircraft safety by monitoring an aircraft’s structure in flight. As for the current tests, engineers are using six fibers that are located on the top surface of the Predator’s wings. They note that more than 2000 strain measurements can be made in real-time.